Numerous separate devices dividing the driver's compartment and the cargo area of vans and other vehicles have been utilized in the past. The purposes of these devices were to confine cargo in the proper area in case of accident, promote security, and attempt to maintain a temperature control in the driver's compartment.
These devices have been manufactured or designed with metal, aluminum, and fiberglass, either screwed or bolted to plexiglass to provide rear view vision. These partitions in many cases required, at best, awkward manufacturing techniques, and did not necessarily achieve what they were designed for.
It has been noted by some that their inventions will give greater cargo space, an attempt made by William P. McKenzie, U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,856, issued Nov. 11, 1986. This patent clearly achieves additional cargo space but evidently relies on the structural strength of the driver and passenger seats for support in the event that heavy moving objects move forward in an accident, since there is a lack of any supports on either side of the partition at the door post area. As recently noted in a television magazine show a common occurrence in accidents is where the rear seat breaks and the passenger slides through the seat belts resulting in an injury illustrating that the structural strength of the passenger seats is questionable. It can be further noted that without any side panels angling forward this partition does not achieve maximum climate control in the driver's compartment. Moreover, it has been determined by Mr. McKenzie that only three standard sizes of partitions are needed to fit most vans, mini vans and station wagons regardless of who they were manufactured by as if to say three sizes of shoes fit all people. To achieve cargo space and maintain maximum climate control in the driver's compartment, the partition should be designed to fit that particular model of vehicle. Generally motor vehicles are designed by the major manufacturers to maintain the same model style for a period of approximately ten (10) years. The instant invention can be utilized on any particular model for a like period of time.
James A. Willemsen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,518 issued Jul. 3, 1990, explains in detail that his drawings are for illustration purposes only and that they should be accepted as that. But, if one considers the location of seats in the various vehicles for which the partition is intended, an obvious conclusion is that the partition because of the vertical nature of its design has to be moved considerably toward the rear of the vehicle to provide space for the seats and thereby reducing the cargo area. The sole advantage of his partition is its flexible strips hanging downward as needed to reach the seats, obviously having no structural strength to this particular invention.
It should also be noted that both above mentioned patents require nuts, bolts, screws, and brackets to secure their partitions not only together but in place. While the present invention does not.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,632,154, issued Jan. 4, 1972, Mr. Woodrich discloses a clear, flexible transparent partition to separate the cargo area from the driver's compartment to obtain climate control. This partition fits behind the driver's seat and extends from the ceiling to the floor and side to side. This would be an obvious reduction of the cargo area and because of its flexible nature provides little protection in an accident.
Mr. Roggin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,269, issued Nov. 6, 1979, attempts to separate the driver's compartment from the rear seat area of an automobile with a fiberglass lower barrier and a plexiglass upper panel for means of viewing to the rear which extends the full width of the vehicle. He has multiple "bolt on" side panels and the invention's primary intent is for security purposes such as is utilized in taxicabs and police vehicles. It is an elaborate and complicated manufacturing feat to construct and install because of its intended function.